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A study of environmental stimulation: An orphanage preschool project.Social behavior of the preschool children as measured by the Berne scale.

A study of environmental stimulation: An orphanage preschool project.: Social behavior of the... The study presented in this book examines the effects of preschool education on the development of children living in an orphanage. The Berne Rating Scale for Social Behavior was selected as the most appropriate means of obtaining a general estimate of change in the social behavior of children attending the orphanage nursery school. Thirty-eight children in the experimental group were rated, each time by three teachers, on the revised Berne Rating Scale for Social Behavior. Over the period from November 1, 1934 to July 1936 there were five rating periods. Nine children were rated five times; fifteen, four times; twenty, three times; and thirty, twice. In order to study the scatter of the ratings within the limits of the scale, these children as rated when they first entered school were compared to a group of approximately one hundred Iowa City preschool children upon which the scale was originally standardized. The distribution was quite different. Orphanage children were consistently low in the items "seeks approbation," "is affectionate," "is kind," "defends self," "is unselfish," while the Iowa City children, admittedly a selected group, exhibited a high frequency at the opposite end of the scale in these items. There was a consistent trend for the orphanage children who started at either the high or the low social extremes to move toward the middle range. Extreme behavior became less extreme. Whereas, for example, more than half of the children originally were at the lowest end of the scale in defending their own rights, in responsibility for themselves and in taking responsibility for others, these children consistently became more social in these respects. Originally the least social extreme in items classified as "jealous," "selfish," and "sensitive," these children so changed that the average scores were significantly higher. At the same time children who showed extreme behavior at the other end of the scale evidently toned down their behavior. The picture is the same with all traits. In some instances behavior originally at the lower social extreme tended so far in the other direction as to move into the upper extreme, but this was not true of changes from the upper limits. These changes are not only of practical statistical certainty in many cases, but the tendency was so consistent as to be almost invariable. It was true in general; it was also the case in specific instances. In 62 pairs of initial and final ratings on fourteen unselected items this tendency toward less extreme behavior was exhibited in 58 of the pairs. Evidence seems to point to the fact that a tempering process was taking place in the case of these children exhibiting behavior of a markedly extreme nature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A study of environmental stimulation: An orphanage preschool project.Social behavior of the preschool children as measured by the Berne scale.

Skeels, Harold M.; Updegraff, Ruth; Wellman, Beth L.; Williams, Harold M.
American Psychological Association — Dec 12, 2011
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Publisher
University of Iowa
Copyright
Copyright © 1938 American Psychological Association
Pages
153 –160
DOI
10.1037/13507-009
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

The study presented in this book examines the effects of preschool education on the development of children living in an orphanage. The Berne Rating Scale for Social Behavior was selected as the most appropriate means of obtaining a general estimate of change in the social behavior of children attending the orphanage nursery school. Thirty-eight children in the experimental group were rated, each time by three teachers, on the revised Berne Rating Scale for Social Behavior. Over the period from November 1, 1934 to July 1936 there were five rating periods. Nine children were rated five times; fifteen, four times; twenty, three times; and thirty, twice. In order to study the scatter of the ratings within the limits of the scale, these children as rated when they first entered school were compared to a group of approximately one hundred Iowa City preschool children upon which the scale was originally standardized. The distribution was quite different. Orphanage children were consistently low in the items "seeks approbation," "is affectionate," "is kind," "defends self," "is unselfish," while the Iowa City children, admittedly a selected group, exhibited a high frequency at the opposite end of the scale in these items. There was a consistent trend for the orphanage children who started at either the high or the low social extremes to move toward the middle range. Extreme behavior became less extreme. Whereas, for example, more than half of the children originally were at the lowest end of the scale in defending their own rights, in responsibility for themselves and in taking responsibility for others, these children consistently became more social in these respects. Originally the least social extreme in items classified as "jealous," "selfish," and "sensitive," these children so changed that the average scores were significantly higher. At the same time children who showed extreme behavior at the other end of the scale evidently toned down their behavior. The picture is the same with all traits. In some instances behavior originally at the lower social extreme tended so far in the other direction as to move into the upper extreme, but this was not true of changes from the upper limits. These changes are not only of practical statistical certainty in many cases, but the tendency was so consistent as to be almost invariable. It was true in general; it was also the case in specific instances. In 62 pairs of initial and final ratings on fourteen unselected items this tendency toward less extreme behavior was exhibited in 58 of the pairs. Evidence seems to point to the fact that a tempering process was taking place in the case of these children exhibiting behavior of a markedly extreme nature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Published: Dec 12, 2011

Keywords: orphanage; development; social behavior; preschool education; children; environment

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